Investigation

‘Deliberate’ car ramming of Australian MP an isolated incident, police say | Crime News

A 43-year-old man accused of deliberately hitting Helen Haines outside her office remains in police custody.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have said the alleged targeting of independent lawmaker Helen Haines appeared to be an “isolated incident” and there were no known further threats associated with the attack.

Haines was struck by a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV outside her office in Wangaratta, about 200km (124 miles) northwest of the state of Victoria’s capital, Melbourne, on Monday, in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called a “deliberate” act.

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The 65-year-old underwent surgery overnight, with Australian media outlets reporting on Tuesday that she has lost a leg and remains in critical condition in a Melbourne hospital.

The suspect is in police custody, an AFP statement released on Tuesday said. Local media identified the driver as a 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee, Victoria.

Federal and state police were working “to identify potential charges”, including “the offence of causing harm to a Commonwealth public official which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment”, the statement said.

The prime minister said on Tuesday that the vehicle had performed a U-turn before hitting the MP.

“It’s clear that there was a deliberate act here. This wasn’t an accident, someone just skidding off the road,” Albanese ⁠told the ABC national broadcaster.

The prime minister said the alleged attacker’s motive remained unknown.

Police arrive at Alfred Hospital where Australian politician Helen Haines is being treated in Melbourne on October 20, 2026 [Martin Keep/AFP]
Police arrive at Alfred Hospital, where Australian politician Helen Haines is being treated, in Melbourne on October 20, 2026 [Martin Keep/AFP]

Bystander intervened

A former nurse, Haines is an independent federal MP for the Victorian seat of Indi and is known for her socially conscious policy positions on the environment and transparency.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told ABC Radio that witnesses said Haines was struck twice by the vehicle before a bystander intervened.

Ricky Jefferies ran from his barber shop, restrained the attacker and removed a knife from him after initially believing the incident was a car accident, Australian media reported.

“I heard a loud bang with no brakes. It was crazy; I just ran out to the ⁠front to see what’s happening,” Jefferies told reporters outside his shop.

“I didn’t realise the seriousness of ⁠the situation initially, and once it became relevant, I just did what I could and what others were already trying to do.”

Threats and abuse

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she was shocked by the “deeply disturbing attack” and wished Haines a full recovery in a post on X.

The attack comes after the federal police documented a steady rise in threats and abuse directed towards the nation’s politicians in recent years. Politicians have historically been highly accessible to the public and usually go about their business without security.

Albanese said on Monday that “the temperature has increased in recent times”.

Haines entered parliament in 2019 after working as a nurse and midwife, becoming known for stances such as supporting stronger climate action.

She has been praised for her efforts to increase transparency in politics and crack down on corruption.

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Huw Edwards sparks Ofcom investigation with complaint over Channel 5’s film of his downfall

The feature-length factal drama was rigorously researched but Huw has asked for it to be examined inder the ‘fairness and privacy’ clause of the Broadcasting Code

Ofcom has launched a probe into Channel 5’s factual drama about Huw Edwards following a complaint which can only have come from the ex-BBC newsreader himself.

The two-part factual drama, called Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards and starring Martin Clunes as the disgraced journalist, is being examined for “fairness and privacy” under Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code.

The investigation’s criteria covers “unjust or unfair treatment of individuals or organisations in programmes” or “unwarranted infringement of privacy in programmes”.

Huw, 65, has not publicly stated that he has called for the probe. But under the Ofcom code, in order to make a fairness and privacy complaint, it must come from either the affected person directly or by someone authorised to complain on their behalf.

An Ofcom spokesperson told Broadcast : “ We are investigating a fairness and privacy complaint about this programme.”

The feature-length film, Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, told the story of the former BBC News presenter’s shattered career. It showed him befriending a 17-year-old boy and grooming him to send explicit photos or videos in exchange for cash. It also showed him linking up with a convicted paedophile online, leading to a criminal conviction for making indecent images of children, for which he pleaded guilty and was given a suspended sentence.

The 90-minute special is currently Channel 5’s highest-rating show of the year, pulling in 3.8m viewers over 28 days when it aired in March.

Ahead of the drama transmitting, Huw claimed that producers had failed to “check with me the truth of any aspect of their narrative” in the factual drama.

In a statement after the drama aired, he accused Channel 5 of “belatedly” asking him for a response after the drama had been made and claims the broadcaster “refused to disclose whether any of those making allegations” used in the research of the drama “had been paid for their contributions”.

In response, a Channel 5 spokesperson insisted it had been “based on extensive interviews with the victim, his family, the journalists who revealed his story, text exchanges between the victim and Edwards, and court reporting”.

They added: “It has been produced in accordance with Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code. All allegations made in the film were put to Huw Edwards via his solicitors six weeks before transmission.”

Huw resigned from the BBC on health grounds, before being charged in June 2024 following a Metropolitan Police investigation.

The Welsh newsreader pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to three charges of making indecent images of children. These included seven category A images, the most serious classification, which had been sent to him on WhatsApp by 25-year-old convicted sex offender Alex Williams.

Ofcom is now expected to take representations from both sides before either upholding the complaint or dismissing it.

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Flight from Israel makes emergency landing in Bulgaria after bomb threat | Aviation News

Crew of Austrian Airlines flight OS82 decides to land in Sofia after receiving bomb threat, Bulgarian authorities say.

An Airbus A320 flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna has made an emergency landing in Bulgaria following a reported bomb threat, according to the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport.

Austrian Airlines flight OS82 was near the border with Romania when the crew received a bomb threat and decided to land in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, the Transport Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

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Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defence said an air force MiG-29 fighter jet escorted the plane to Sofia airport.

Initial information showed the aircraft carried six crew members and 51 passengers, all of whom have all since disembarked, according to the Transport Ministry’s statement.

The airline told the AFP news agency that a security search of the aircraft was conducted.

“Once the search of the aircraft is complete, the passengers will be rebooked onto alternative flights as quickly as possible,” the airline said.

A crisis response team has been set up, and relevant authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, the Bulgarian Transport Ministry said.

According to aviation and flight tracking site FlightAware, Austrian Airlines 82 left the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv on Sunday at 6:46pm local time (15:46 GMT) and landed about three hours later at Vasil Levski airport in Sofia at 9:43pm (18:43 GMT).

Flightradar24 data showed it entered Romanian airspace at about 9:10pm (18:10 GMT) before turning south and heading back towards Bulgaria.

Information from the flight-tracking platform ADS-B Exchange indicates the aircraft was transmitting squawk code 7700 – a signal for a general emergency – at around the same time.

Flydubai incident

Last month, a Flydubai plane carrying 174 passengers was on its way from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv when a co-pilot allegedly attacked the pilot with an axe in an attempt to crash the plane.

A plane, carrying passengers who were on the FlyDubai aircraft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an emergency signal, on the tarmac as it arrives at the Ben Gurion International Airport, in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel, September 30, 2026 [Ammar Awad/Reuters]
A plane carrying passengers who were on the Flydubai aircraft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an emergency signal, arrives at the Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on September 30, 2026 [Ammar Awad/Reuters]

The aircraft plunged about 17,000 feet (5,180 metres) before it was brought back under control by other Flydubai pilots after passengers and other crew subdued the alleged attacker.

The flight was diverted and forced to make an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Authorities in the UAE said the co-pilot was on a “suicide” mission to crash the plane at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.

The co-pilot, Hamam Al-Hammami, an Omani national, has since been charged with terrorism offences in the UAE.

The Israeli government responded to the incident by ordering checks on the identities of all pilots flying into the country.

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Canadian military base fire: Death toll confirmed and cause under investigation

Four service members are confirmed to have died, Carney said on Sunday.

He also said “dozens” had been “seriously wounded”, without providing further information on their conditions.

Prior to Carney addressing the nation, Canadian media reported the death toll as seven citing unnamed military sources.

The prime minister did not indicate whether or not the government expects the death toll to rise.

The names of those who lost their lives have not been identified but their families have been informed.

On Saturday evening, Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton declared a code orange – a disaster response protocol for a high-casualty incident.

A stream of ambulances were seen arriving at the hospital and one doctor told Canadian public broadcaster CBC that the facility had been “completely overwhelmed” by the number of patients.

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Search continues for 11 missing after boat sank off Mexico’s Baja coast | US-Mexico Border News

Some of 16 survivors treated for suspected shark bites, US coastguard says.

The search continues for 11 people still missing after a boat capsized off Mexico’s Baja California coast on Friday, as multiple survivors have been treated for suspected shark bites, according to the US coastguard.

“Several of the individuals rescued were suffering from severe injuries consistent with shark bites, and the Coast Guard provided life-saving first aid while en route [to] San Diego,” the coastguard said in a statement on Saturday.

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Sixteen Mexican nationals were rescued on Friday. Survivors told officials there were 27 people on board.

The coastguard and US Navy used multiple aircraft and boats, along with assistance from the Mexican Navy, to search the area for the remaining passengers. An additional helicopter will be deployed later on Saturday, according to the coastguard.

Coast Guardsmen work on a helicopter at Coast Guard Station San Diego on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
Coastguard officers work on a helicopter at Coast Guard Station San Diego on October 16, 2026 [Denis Poroy/AP]

A Mayday call was transmitted from someone on the boat at about 1am on Friday, coastguard Lieutenant Santiago Tamburini said on the day.

A rescue helicopter reached the site about two hours later. It took about 90 minutes for the crew, which included a rescue swimmer, to pull the 16 people from the water, he added.

The boat went down about 225km (140 miles) west of Ensenada, Mexico, an area popular with fishing and leisure boats, but that is also frequented by smugglers.

Although the incident did not happen in US waters, coastguard official Charlie Valor said on Saturday they “were able to help, and that’s why we launched our assets”.

Fatal attempts to transport refugees and migrants from Mexico to the US have occurred in the past.

In May 2025, at least three people died when a boat flipped off the coast about 56km (35 miles) north of the US-Mexico border.

In 2023, eight people were killed in one of the deadliest maritime smuggling accidents off the US coast, when two boats approached a San Diego beach in heavy fog, and one capsized in the surf.

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US ambassador urges Israel to prosecute attackers of American journalist | Occupied West Bank News

Trump-appointed Ambassador Mike Huckabee calls attack in occupied West Bank a ‘despicable act of terror’.

United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has demanded Israel prosecute and jail those responsible for the attack on Washington Post journalist Heidi Levine in the occupied West Bank.

“Attacking a female photographer is a despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards,” Huckabee wrote on X on Saturday.

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“Those who attacked unarmed reporter should spend YRS in prison,” he added. “We have called for a full investigation, arrest, and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law to whoever participated in this.”

Levine was covering Palestinians’ annual harvest of olives on Friday in the occupied West Bank when Israeli settlers brutally attacked her and several Palestinians.

Israeli settlers stormed the area, beat her and stole her passport, telephone, wallet and equipment, according to witnesses.

The perpetrators, armed with bottles and slingshots, “were kicking me for like 10 minutes, and I was trying to hold onto my cameras and my bag”, Levine said.

Jasper Nathaniel, an independent journalist who witnessed the attack, told Al Jazeera that Levine “was in very, very bad shape. She couldn’t really get up off the ground.”

American freelance photojournalist Heidi Levine lies on a gurney in the emergency room of the government hospital in the Israeli-occupied city of Ramallah, as she is treated after being attacked by Israeli settlers while photographing Palestinian farmers harvesting their olives, in the Palestinian village of Abu Falah on October 16, 2026.
American freelance photojournalist Heidi Levine lies on a gurney in the emergency room of the government hospital in Ramallah, a city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on October 16, 2026 [AFP]

Levine, 64, was taken to hospital after the assault in Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah.

The American photojournalist underwent surgery on her finger, which was nearly detached from her hand, and was left with a broken rib and multiple broken vertebrae, as well as lacerations, her daughter told The Associated Press news agency.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who wants to shore up his pro-settlement right-wing base ahead of closely fought October 27 elections, claimed on Friday that Palestinians or “far-left” activists may have been responsible for the attack on Levine and other Palestinians.

Huckabee, a staunch ally of Israel who has sharply criticised Israeli settler attacks against Americans, did not identify the culprits as settlers after Netanyahu tried to sow doubt as to their identity.

The ambassador, appointed by US President Donald Trump, met Palestinian-Americans in the occupied West Bank town of Turmus Aya in September to hear locals’ testimony about their experiences with pogroms. In August, Huckabee called a days-long Israeli settler siege an “act of terror”.

The US State Department criticised Friday’s attack using a cautious tone on Levine’s beating, stating condemnation of “criminal violence by any party”.

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US coastguard rescues 16 after boat sinks off Mexico’s Baja coast | US-Mexico Border News

At least 11 people believed to still be missing, with rescue operations underway.

The US coastguard has said it rescued 16 people from the Pacific Ocean after a boat sank off Mexico’s Baja coast.

The coastguard said on Friday it responded to a Mayday call reporting that a boat was sinking. The search is ongoing for 11 people believed to be still missing.

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The boat went down about 225km (140 miles) west of Ensenada, Mexico.

A rescue helicopter reached the site about two hours after someone on the boat transmitted the Mayday call at about 1am (08:00 GMT) on Friday, said coastguard Lieutenant Santiago Tamburini.

It took about 90 minutes for the coastguard crew, which included a rescue swimmer, to pull the 16 people from the water, Tamburini said.

The people rescued were Mexican nationals, according to the Mexican consulate.

One survivor was being treated for a suspected shark bite and two were in critical condition, authorities said.

The rescued were flown by helicopter to San Diego, California, and transported to hospitals. The Mexican consulate in San Diego said it offered consular assistance.

The coastguard and US Navy are continuing to search the area with two helicopters, a fixed-wing plane, a cutter and a navy combat ship.

The boat sank in an area frequented by smugglers transporting migrants to the US. It is also popular with fishing and leisure boats.

Details about the boat’s origin, destination and what it was doing are not clear. No vessel, only debris, was found, and it was unclear what type of boat was involved, the coastguard said.

“Boats in that area can be for fishing, leisure, personal recreation. We just don’t know what they were doing out there. We all know it’s a suspected smuggling route,” Tamburini said.

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Oregon school shooter was former special needs student, police say | Gun Violence News

A teacher fought the teenage shooter and a parent shot him dead, police say on Friday, a day after four people were killed.

The 16-year-old who killed three children and a teacher at an elementary school in the US state of Oregon was a former special-needs student at the school, police and school officials have said.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz identified the attacker on Friday, a day after the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School, as Griffin J. John II.

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He said the teenager attacked a classroom of special-needs students, where all the victims were shot.

Steven Cook, superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools, said John was not enrolled in the local public school system at the time.

“That classroom was a special needs classroom, and the suspect was a special needs student in that school,” Cook told a news conference.

Krantz said John shot his way through locked doors with a 12-gauge shotgun, firing as many as 15 shots, and had about 44 rounds left when he was killed. Police are still trying to determine how he obtained the gun.

Under Oregon law, a minor may possess a shotgun if provided by a parent or with a parent’s consent.

The shooter’s mother, Shauntai Nickerson, separately told reporters outside her apartment: “I’m so sorry, I wish I could have done something.”

A teacher threw her phone at the gunman, then tackled and fought him, likely saving lives, Krantz said, calling her actions “heroic”. She was not injured.

A 36-year-old father, Kaylub Giamanco, who has two children at the school, then followed the gunman inside and shot him dead minutes after the first 911 call.

US President Donald Trump called Giamanco a “great hero”. “It’s a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it,” Trump said.

People mourn next to a cordoned-off area at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on October 16, 2026, the day after a shooting
People mourn next to a cordoned-off area at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on October 16, 2026, the day after a shooting [David Ryder/Reuters]

The children killed were aged five, eight and 11, and the teacher was Meghan Lambert, 25, police said.

A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to hospital in critical condition.

The shooting is the 28th mass killing in the US this year, according to a database by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.

The Gun Violence Archive in the US has documented 369 mass shootings in 2026, defined as incidents in which four or more people are shot.

The Everytown for Gun Safety group has counted at least 100 incidents of gunfire on school grounds this year, with 34 deaths.

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